Boating Laws and Regulations

Wisconsin Boating Safety Education Requirements

A Wisconsin Boating Safety Certificate is required for all boaters born after January 1, 1989 who operate a motorboat or Personal Watercraft (PWC) on Wisconsin's waters. There is no minimum age to take the Wisconsin Boating Safety Course, however certificates are not valid until the operator reaches the age of 12.

DNR Number Required

DNR Number Required
Anyone who holds a license or certificate that is issued by the Wisconsin DNR (including the boating safety certificate), holds a DNR Customer Number.
Before you purchase your Wisconsin Boating Safety Certificate you must have a valid DNR number. If you hold a fishing license, hunting license, ATV or snowmobile registration for instance, then your DNR customer number is located on the license/certificate.
If you do not have a DNR number or you are not certain whether you have one, you can obtain your number from the DNR website.

Boating License or Boating Safety Certificate...is there a difference?

The boater education card is proof that you have successfully completed a boating safety course. The boater education card does not expire and does not need to be renewed. Therefore, it is NOT a Wisconsin Boating License!